Subject: Waterville Plateau, Wenatchee 1/17-1/19
Date: Jan 19 22:15:30 2004
From: Matt Bartels - mattxyz at earthlink.net


Hi Tweeters -
I've just returned from 2 days of birding up around the Waterville
Plateau [Douglas Co] and one in Wenatchee. My results seem pretty
similar to what has been reported by others recently on Tweeters --
in other words, the Plateau is good for birding right now -
Locations with notable birds:
Central Ferry Rd.:
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS -Saturday, and Monday there was a flock of about 25
, right about at the point where the road enters the Ponderosa Pines.
Also in this location were: PYGMY NUTHATCH, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH,
MOUNTAIN & B-C CHICKADEES, RED CROSSBILLS & a HAIRY WOODPECKER.
I didn't go much beyond the Ponderosa Pine section, because the road
got a little slick & snowy for me.

Also, at the north end of CFRd., where the dirt road begins, there
was a nice collection of birds in the orchard on both days. BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS [~50+] circled around, CALIFORNIA QUAIL wandered in and
around the trees, and HOUSE FINCH & WC SPARROWS made up the bulk of
the rest of the group.

Bridgeport Hill Rd:
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE - Saturday, just before dusk, a group of ~6
surprised me along the side of the road as I headed down. They were
at about mp9.
COMMON REDPOLL - Monday, in the birch trees, as reported, at about mp
8. There is a closed-to-vehicles road here that can be walked down.
I'd say there were 30-40 redpolls buzzing around from treetop to top.

Bridgeport Bar:
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW - Just a quick stop at the end of Grange road
turned up several ATSP among the WC Sparrows today. A couple
W.MEADOWLARKS were around, and 3 immature BALD EAGLES flew overhead
chattering away. I didn't see a white pelican out on the water, but
all the duck hunters were making a racket, so I don't blame it for
fleeing the area for now.
COOPERS HAWK - One at the south side of the bridge to Brewster - just
notable for the great look it allowed as it perched for a long while
then flew off.

Waterville Plateau in general:
SNOW BUNTING: Many -- several sightings, Saturday and Monday. Several
of the larger Horned Lark flocks [both arctic & yellow-ish ] held a
SNBU or two. Also, today I came across 2 big flocks of mostly Snow
Buntings, one over 100 strong, and one ~30-50. Both were on the road
that heads north out of Mansfield and eventually turns west to
connect w/ Bridgeport Hill Road. In one of these flocks I kept
hearing at least one Lapland Longspur, but for the life of me I
couldn't find the bird -- and unlike many other flocks, this one was
allowing pretty decent looks.

GRAY PARTRIDGE - 3 different groups of ~6 each today -- 2 along hwy 2
around Douglas, and one at about mp 30 on hwy 172 [a bit west of the
junction w/ 17].

GREAT HORNED OWLS - 2 at dusk today. One at the corner of 172 and Q
[about 1 mi west of hwy 17], and one a few miles south on hwy 17 from
the 172 turn. Both were sitting on power-line poles in the open.

NORTHERN SHRIKE - many, everywhere. Over the course of the weekend,
I'd say I saw at least 10-15 of them scattered about.

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK - 2 seen on Saturday.

WENATCHEE, Chelan Co : Horan Natural Area, Wenatchee Point Park. Sunday 1/18
Car troubles forced me to spend Sunday mostly struggling to get my
car down to the big-city for Monday morning repairs. As a result, I
'lost' Saturday birding up on the plateau, but I gained a good
afternoon of birding in Wenatchee. For a downtown park, it was pretty
good. [The car got repaired by 10 this morning, allowing another
nearly full day of birding, whew!]
In the park:
COOPERS HAWK - toying w/ California Quail
NORTHERN HARRIER - got too close to the COHA's game and got chased off.
AMERICAN KESTRAL - 2, one who chased after one of the Shrike for a while.
RED-TAILED HAWK - one came screaming by and took up residence on one
of the trees,
BALD EAGLE - At least one adult.
N.SHRIKE - Minimum 2 here, but probably 4, and maybe up to 5 seen. If
there were only two, they were following me way too closely for way
too long.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER - 6 or more by the entrance way as I was
leaving the park.

All in all, despite the car problems, a good weekend getaway -

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA


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